Commanding Officers of Battleship Texas Albert Weston Grant 12
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Commanding Officers Of Battleship Texas Albert Weston Grant 12 March 14-10 June 15 As the first CO, taking command at commissioning, Grant was a Texas Plank Owner. He began his time in the Navy in sailing ships and ended his career in Texas, the most advanced ship of her time. During his lengthy and distinguished career he served in and commanded a wide array of naval vessels, watching the evolution of modern naval warfare and the United States becoming a world naval power. Along the way he was involved with bringing the modern innovation of electricity to naval vessels. He was given command of Texas as the Navy wanted its greatest officer to have command of its greatest new ship. Grant was commander when President Wilson sent her to Vera Cruz for her first deployment in the service of her nation. Carrying on the tradition of Grant’s great naval family, his great-great grandson is a naval officer today. John Hood 10 June 15-14 August 16 Hood’s career is more remembered as one of the finest instructors at the Naval Academy and in training vessels. Prior to gaining renown as a teacher, he had had more bad luck than good at sea. He was a junior officer serving in USS Kearsarge when she ran aground and sank on Rocandar Reef, and was in USS Maine when she blew up and sank in Havana Harbor. Later in his career while on the General Board he created a plan to expand Navy to complete 48 battleships by 1925. Though he died in 1919 and did not get to see his plan completed, West Virginia, BB48, so his envisioned 48th battleship, was commissioned in 1923, ahead of schedule. Victor Blue 14 August 16-31 December 18 Blue was CO during WW1, but he and his Navigation Officer ran Texas aground on the way to the war zone, delaying her participation. Once in the theatre of operations, under his command she distinguished herself with exemplary service during the war. As a young naval officer, he was a hero of Spanish-American war when he led a reconnaissance group of bluejackets and Marines overland to get the layout of the Spanish fleet and then fought his ship in the resulting battle of Santiago. His son was a naval officer KIA in WW2. A WW2 destroyer was named Blue to honor them both. Nathan C. Twining 31 December 18-17 July 19 A very fine naval officer, his most notable contribution to naval history was his invention of the first working prototype of an anti-aircraft gun in1911, when aviation was still very new, and certainly before many in the Navy felt aircraft posed any danger to ships. Frank H. Schofield 17 July 19-17 June 21 While a fine naval officer commanding ships and another hero of Spanish-American war and WW1, his greater contributions include serving as part of President Wilson's team at the Paris Peace Conference, as US naval representative at the Geneva Arms Limitation Conference, and creator of Navy Hydrographic Office (first called the Schofield Board). His time in Texas included her first Panama Canal crossing Edward S. Kellogg 17 June 21-6 July 22 Kellogg commanded USS Hist during Spanish-American War, sank several Spanish ships and won special commendation for saving the crew of one of the ships he sank. When he was an instructor at the Naval Academy, he taught future Admirals Nimitz, Halsey and Ingersol. As CO in WW1 of USS Huntington, he won the Navy Cross rescuing soldiers and crew of a torpedoed transport. CO of many vessels, among them he commanded New York, Vermont, Idaho and Texas; a true battleship commander. After retirement he was the Naval Governor of Samoa. Andre M. Proctor 6 July 22-22 May 24 Earned commendations in Spanish-American War and later in WW1 transporting thousands of returning soldiers and Marines in USS America--a problem plagued ship under everyone but him (sank once, overwhelmed with influenza and even suffered mutiny while under army command). Ivan C. Wettengel 22 May 24-28 September 25 Served in Spanish-American War, and in many ships after in both Atlantic and pacific, spent some years as recruiter in Nebraska and Minnesota before becoming navigator in new battleship Arkansas, taking President Taft to see the opening of the Panama Canal. Commanded USS Wisconsin in WW1 and earned Navy Cross for his search skills against German U-Boats. After the war he was made Naval Governor of Guam. Commanded Texas for her first Naval Academy Midshipman's Cruise and took her into dry dock for modernization Charles Adams Blakely 28 September 25-2 June 26 Served in many ships before earning Distinguished Service Medal in WW1 for escorting transports and damaging a UBoat while commanding USS O’Brian. He was in command of Texas during dry dock modernization--not romantic but very difficult command. In his 50s, instead of retiring he went to flight school, received his wings and then commanded one of the first aircraft carriers, USS Lexington, CV2, then was admiral of the carrier division which included Yorktown and Enterprise. Zeno E. Briggs 2 June 26-4 January 28 Served in and commanded a great many ships from Spanish-American War through WW1. He earned commendation for keeping transport ship USS America clean from flu. CO of Texas when she returned to sea after modernization, and retired. He came out of retirement for WW2, then retired again. He lived to be 96 years old. J. R. DeFrees 4 January 28-9 July 29 Born two weeks before Colonel Custer died at the Little Big Horn, DeFrees saw great advances in naval technology during his time in the Navy. He served in USS Vesuvius, an experimental ship using 'dynamite pneumatic guns.' When that idea failed she became an experimental torpedo ship and he spent much of the rest of his career as a torpedo expert. Commanded transport ships in WW1, earning the Navy Cross. CO of Texas when she was Flagship of the Navy and when Lindbergh visited ship. Lost son in WW2 on bridge of submarine USS Sculpin. Adolphus Andrews 9 July 29-13 May 31 Went to the University of Texas before transferring to the Naval Academy. He was a plank owner of the second USS Maine, replacement ship for the Maine lost in Havana the year before. He served in Secretary of the Navy and presidential yachts. In that capacity, he knew Secretary of the Navy and later President Theodore Roosevelt, Admiral Dewey, President Taft and countless royals and dignitaries leading to rapid promotion. In WW1 he was youngest Captain in the Navy. Between the world wars he was CO of the presidential yacht and carried Presidents Harding and Coolidge. He was CO of Texas when she was a flagship and took her first trip to Pearl Harbor. In WW2, as Vice Admiral, he organized the Atlantic fleet to combat UBoats and is credited with ending Germany’s threat to America’s coastline. Julius C. Townsend 13 May 31-17 June 33 Medal of honor winner for action leading bluejackets at Veracruz in 1914. He commanded a Naval Air Station in WWI, and won the Navy Cross in the 2nd Nicaragua campaign. He commanded Texas when she was Flagship of Battleship Division One. He died while still in the Navy as commander of Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1938. Lamar E. Leahy 17 June 33-15 April 35 Early in his career he was Aide and Fleet Lieutenant to Rear Admiral Harper, Commander of the Asiatic Fleet, where he met the Emperor of Japan and the Prince Regent of China. In WWI he commanded the Astor family yacht which had been converted to a Navy vessel, USS Noma. He won the Navy Cross and the British OBE for his fight against German UBoats. He was personally commended by President Hoover while Commander of a destroyer squadron, when he was sent by Hoover on a special mission to Venezuela to present the gift of a statue of Henry Clay. After retirement he was Director of the International Hydrographic Bureau of Monte Carlo. He was recalled from retirement for World War II when he served as President of the General Court-Martial Board. S. A. Taffinder 15 April 35-21 November 36 The only Texas CO to have served in Texas before as a junior officer. As part of her original crew he was plank owner of the ship he later commanded. As a Lieutenant in WW1, he served in the animal transport ship USS El Occidente. Later he commanded the tanker USS Safelo, carrying petroleum out of Texas ports in the 1930s before taking over as CO of Texas, He retired as an admiral. Fred F. Rogers 21 November 36-1 June 38 He was Assistant Naval Attaché to Japan before WW1, and was the first American naval officer assigned to study Japan and Japanese language--his work was the basis for all naval intelligence on Japan. He was later the Naval Attaché until US/Japanese relations got so bad he left that post and took command of Texas when she was Flagship of the Training Division. R. R. M. Emmet 1 June 38-31 May 40 Emmet was a track star at the Naval Academy. His first ship was in USS Connecticut as part of Theodore Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet tour of the world. His initial field of studies was torpedoes. He was a plank owner of USS Arizona. In WW1, he was a gunnery officer on special assignment in an experiment to arm civilian transports before us entry, and then in USS Maine as gunnery officer when the U.S.